Why is Jakobi Meyers no longer a member of the New England Patriots? If you ask Bill Belichick, that's just the way NFL free agency goes.
The Patriots head coach insisted Wednesday that the wide receiver was a "priority" for the team in free agency before he signed a three-year, $33 million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders in March.
"He was a free agent and signed with the Raiders," Belichick said of Meyers. "A lot of guys change teams in free agency. ... He was a priority. We talked to him."
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Belichick was then asked if the Patriots and Meyers were "close" to reaching a deal that would have kept him New England.
"Relatively, yeah," Belichick replied. "But free agency is free agency."
MORE PATRIOTS COVERAGE
According to the Boston Herald's Andrew Callahan, Meyers and representation have a different view of the negotations.
"That's news to Meyers' camp," Callahan posted on X.
If Meyers felt the Patriots didn't prioritize him in free agency, that's completely understandable. After all, New England ended up signing wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster to a similar deal (three years, $25 million), which prompted a fitting reaction from Meyers on social media at the time.
The Patriots clearly had the financial resources to retain Meyers but apparently felt signing Smith-Schuster was the better move. Shortly after signing with the Raiders, Meyers told CBS Sports' Josina Anderson that "they wanted me and I wanted them," suggesting he didn't believe the Patriots felt the same way about keeping him.
Why is so much being made of Meyers' departure now, you ask? As the Patriots prepare to visit Las Vegas this weekend, Meyers is thriving with his new team -- 25 catches for 274 yards with three touchdowns -- while his effective replacement, Smith-Schuster, has been a dud in New England (14 catches for 86 yards).
So, it's easy to second-guess Belichick decision to let Meyers walk -- even if he claims his team made an effort to keep the wideout around.